Collection inventory

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E. E. Hilliard and Company Records

An inventory of its records at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: CAK
Date: Jun 1979

Biographical History

E. E. Hilliard & Company, a woollen goods manufacturer, was established in 1794 by Aaron Buckland. Elisha E. Hilliard became part owner of the mills in 1831 and became sole owner in 1842. Aaron Krock purchased the buildings in 1940 and the site was used to manufacture aircraft parts for Pratt and Whitney during World War II. In 1949 the site was purchased by the Bezzini family and became a manufacturing plant for their Old Colony Furniture Company.

The site was re-acquired by Hilliard Mills LLC in 2006 and renovated as a "premiere location for business," leasing office and business space. It is a nationally listed historic site (see their website at http://www.hilliardmills.com for more information).

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The E. E. Hilliard & Company Records consist of correspondence, financial material, miscellaneous material, and ledgers.

The bulk of the Correspondence and Financial material (checkbooks, time books, bill and receipts) deals with the years 1850-1935, when the factory was at its peak production. Several papers also concern smaller branches of the company, including the Hilliard Mills, the Charter Oak Co., the Eagle Mill Co., and the Vernon Mills Co.

The Miscellaneous material includes notes on the history of E. E. Hillard & Co. as well as some specific notes on papers in the collection. Of particular interest is the sample book, containing swatches of different woollen goods with notations, dated 1884. There is also a set of dye formulas with representative samples, dated 1885.

Ledgers span more than eighty years of the company and include a few from the smaller branches.

Arrangement of the Collection

Material is in alphabetical order by type of material; within that, most material is organized chronologically.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Corporate Bodies

Charter Oak Company.
E. E. Hilliard and Company -- Archives.
Eagle Mill Company.

Subjects

Manufactures -- United States.
Manufacturing industries -- Accounting.
Textile industry -- United States.
Textile workers -- Connecticut.

Places

Connecticut -- Manufactures.

Genres and Forms

Cashbooks.
Checkbooks.
Correspondence.
Ledgers (account books)
Letter books.
Receipts (financial records)
Sample books.
Time sheets.

Occupations

Business.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

E. E. Hilliard and Company Records
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Table of Contents

Correspondence

Financial material

Miscellaneous

Ledgers

Inventory